A little after eight Roderick rises and, taking care not to wake Molly, dons his bathrobe and slippers. Slipping silently out of the room, he descends the stairs to the kitchen, then out the back door to the carriage house, where his Roadmaster sleeps silently.
Opening the door and sliding behind the wheel, he inspects his prize.
While they were in Berlin, some dust accumulated on the dashboard. Roderick wipes it clean and burnishes the chrome until it gleams.
He depresses the accelerator and turns the key; the Fireball Straight Eight roars to life. Shifting the Dynaflow into reverse, he backs the throbbing behemoth into the driveway so he can inspect her finish in the sunlight.
The Ventiports are dirty. No matter. Roderick cleans and polishes, polishes and cleans until the Ventiports glow in the sun.
Molly joins him. "Let's go for a ride," she says, which Roderick recognizes as code for Molly seeking sexual arousal. He runs back inside, loses the bathrobe, dons shirt, pants and shoes, grabs wallet and runs downstairs to join Molly, who waits expectantly on the big bench seat. Firing up the Fireball again, Roderick backs carefully down the driveway, shifts the Dynaflow to Drive and floors the beast; she surges forward down Elm Street.
Making the left down Fifteenth and right on Main/Maple, the Roadmaster rumbles out past the town limit to Uncle Dave's Farm, home of the Beauneville Pigs (who dine on nothing but Beauneville Beauty apples, and who are ultimately transformed into Beauneville Ham, the apotheosis of pig).
Roderick pulls into the driveway of Uncle Dave's Farm. parks the Roadmaster and sits by the side of the road with Molly to contemplate the moment.
"I have nothing intelligent to say about this moment," says Roderick.
"That's okay," says Molly, hugging his arm. "Let's get something to eat. Also, I have to stop at Dorabella's to get something for Mary."
"Oh, right, Mary's birthday," says Roderick, slapping his forehead. "I need to get her something too." Roderick knows exactly what to get for Mary, who turned seventeen while they were in Berlin. The Smiths and Blooms plan to celebrate at the Red Trolley tomorrow night.
